Best Panna Cotta Recipe Ever & Happy 4th of July

When Carole told me she was coming, she asked if there was a cooking school close to where I lived. “Mom wants to send us to cooking school,” she wrote.

My sister took care of my mother every day in very trying conditions. When mom died there was a small inheritance and I insisted that Carole take my share as well. She did the job I couldn’t have done and it was the right thing for me to do. She saved some of that money so mom could send us to cooking school. Isn’t that clever? We had the BEST day.

We’ve got several cooking schools in our area but there are a few top ones that I’ve been dying to go to. Last year at the Real Food Festival I watched chef Cameron Matthews cook and I was mesmerized. He took that food to a different level after showing us all how to trim a full sirloin and cut it into steaks. He says it’s much cheaper to do that then buy steak by the piece and you get better beef.

Cameron is the executive chef at The Long Apron Restaurant and Cooking School at the Spicers Clovelly Estate in Montville in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. He’s a talented chef, he’s immensely funny and he’s very serious about using top quality local food. He’s also not impressed by food bloggers who are celebrities with no food training at all. I love it when people tell us honestly how they feel, especially when they explain their reasoning.

He said chefs with years of experience who’ve done all the hard work to learn their craft, be inventive and consistent get an ordinary payday after working really long hours. Along comes a blogger who goes on one of the cooking shows and becomes an instant success earning squillions of dollars – and it hurts. ‘They don’t have to learn traditional techniques, food safety, kitchen management or anything else and they’re stars while those of us who’ve really put the work in go virtually unrecognised.’

When he said it like that and seeing all his fantastic food, I could understand the frustration he felt.

The class was all Italian and the first thing we made was panna cotta. I’d eaten it before but I’d never made it. It’s very easy to make and only a few ingredients are required. I followed the directions but I didn’t cool the mixture long enough before pouring it in the moulds. That’s why you see the vanilla seeds on the top. If you chill the panna cotta before pouring it into the moulds, the seeds will stay in suspension.

Whatever – it was fantastic! I gave John a bite from my first fail. I unmoulded two of them too soon and they collapsed. He thought the panna cotta was “all right.” All right means really good. That’s the best it gets around here.

Then for dessert I gave him another (fully set) and when he was finished he said, “Do we have any more?” He ate another! Remember, John doesn’t like dessert but this panna cotta isn’t too sweet, very vanilla-ey, perfectly wibbly wobbly (technical term) and the texture reminds me of something you’d make for the gods. Seriously. It’s creamier than cream. If that’s possible.

Cameron told us to buy plastic dariole moulds because they’re easier to squeeze and unmould. You have to order them from a restaurant supply company and mine haven’t arrived. I wanted something red white and blue for the 4th of July so I used rice measuring cups and some small plastic storage containers. My mother always told me, “Make do or do without,” and these made do.

This photo was taken by our friend Martin Duncan at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival “drinks after the show”. Yes, Cameron is that tall and yes, I’m that short. I can’t remember what I was laughing so hard about but it wasn’t that the beer was resting on my head!

Carole left this morning, leaving behind her granddaughter’s violin. All sorted and it’s on its way to the states too. I felt a bit sad all day for the 4th of July so I made this red white and blue panna cotta to remind me of where I come from even though it’s an Italian dessert and my heritage is French. heh

Comments

G’day Maureen, HOW special, true!
Sharing this cooking class thanks to mum with Carole too!
I miss the July 4th celebrations when I lived in the USA…
Other “unexpected” memories happen each year on the day!
Looks to be Best Panna Cotta Recipe Ever…
Glad that you and Carole could spend your priceless, special time…nothing would have been better..
Cheers! Joanne

Thanks, Joanne. I remember the silly parades with dogs dressed up and kids wearing costumes and the old fire trucks and people waving flags. Then it was the watermelon and the seed spitting contests. Maybe I’m just really old. 🙂

What a fun idea to go to a cooking school, and perfect bonding time with family! Panna cotta is pretty freakin’ awesome:-) This recipe looks like a true winner, and the berries all tucked around the dessert look beyond delicious! Yum, Hugs, Terra

What a great thing to go to cooking school with your sister! So nice. And this panna cotta is so nice, too. This is one of those things we rarely make – just don’t think to. And I don’t know why we don’t, because we know how great it is, and it’s been on my to-make list for the blog forever! Yours looks great, and so festive. Happy 4th, and thanks for another fun post.

These photos are awesome! I have always wanted to go to cooking school. Your panna cotta still looks great even though it collapsed a bit. This is one of those desserts that intimidates me, but I would love to try and make it because it looks scrumptious.

You and your sister sound like you have a terrific relationship. I’ve made pannacotta but in metal moulds and yes, it’s always nerve-wracking wondering if they are going to come out! I’ll take his advice and get some plastic ones. Sorry you have been sad this Fourth of July. You understandably must be feeling a long way from home. I disagree however that bloggers just pop out of no where and become celebrities stealing the limelight from those who deserve it more. In every industry there are those who strive and work hard and are very competent at what they do but yhey make a modest living. Then there are a few who pop out of no where having not done the hard yards and seemingly have less talent yet they are famous and making a fortune. Just look at who’s on screen and those in the music industry. This phenomenon is not exclusive to chefs and bloggers – it’s just life xx

What a very special day at the cooking school… I bet your mom was looking down and smiling! I like the sound of wibbley wobbley panna cotta… a favourite dessert at our place (as a treat). Love the image of you with Cameron.!

I’m glad you and your sister could have such a great day together, and the pannacotta is delicious however it looks! I know what Cameron means, every person who’s had 2 seconds on MKR or MasterChef suddenly has a celebrity cooking class or cookbook deal, and they have no experience at all. It is certainly frustrating at times!

First, let me say what beautiful pictures you have taken!!. Looked like such a great class. The picture of you with a beer on your head makes me want to hear your infectious laugh, and slap that naughty boy for doing that to you! Panna cotta was on my dessert menu always when I worked as a chef because it is just that…so simple but so good. I could eat as many as John for sure. I have to agree with Charlie, these days anyone can shoot to fame anytime , its the luck of the draw. I am sure some of those bloggers have worked hard too.

Thanks for sharing the good and bad of panna cottas. I love the idea of them, but always end up disappointed with them. Probably because they are too set, and I’d just prefer some interesting ice cream. I think the secret, as shown, is to have them just set. So maybe one or two my collapse, the perfect result will be we’ll worth it though.

What a great way to celebrate the 4th……..cooking, eating, and love. I learned more about your family from this story than any stories you have shared thus far. What a loving generous family you all are.

Happy 4th of July weekend to you and your family. Cooking school is a fantastic way to enjoy your holiday and a delicious panna cotta. I love how I can see all the specks from the vanilla. I tried to make panna cotta once, it tasted fantastic but I never could unmold it properly so ended up just serving it in the cup. The flipping over part is the scary part. Wishing you a super weekend. Take Care, BAM

Gorgeous vanilla panna cotta, Maureen. I never bother letting cool outside the fridge before pouring into molds and refrigerating and my last panna cotta had a nice layer of crunchy vanilla beans on the bottom. I also served it in a tall glass so I didn’t have to worry about turning it out. Still tasted great.

Thanks for telling us about your lovely day with your sister, it made me miss mine, yet remember many lovely days with them. These are good times to cherish. As he explains it, it is understandable how Chef Matthews feels, I’m sure anyone who has poured so much of themselves into something must wrestle with the ease of success others have without the same sacrifice and investment. Sometimes personality wins out over substance. Such is life.
Your panna cotta looks so creamy and refreshing ~ love the summer berries with it. 🙂

First it was so pleasing to hear of your acknowledging your sister during a difficult time; so often siblings take on a whole new personality when it comes to those things and do not to anything close to the ‘right’ thing.

Second…what a VERY lovely thing for your sister to do and what a fun, fun, FUN one too. I feel for the chef too; when we can look at those shows and know folks with just mediocre talent have made it big…I never once stopped to think about how trained, talented and experienced chefs must feel.

Fair warning shorty? I am 6′ tall; we EVER find a way to meet, it will be Mutt and Jeff all over again. 🙂

This dessert looks beautiful and very apt for the 4th of July. You are a very lovely lady, giving your inheritance to your sister. It often happens in families that one sibling does all the looking after for a parent and gets no recognition for it by the other siblings.
I think Cameron shouldn’t worry so much about us bloggers. For every one who makes a name for themselves through their (often) very hard work, there are tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands who just plough on day after day because it is a hard-working hobby. Chefs also get to shine and there are many celebrity chefs who perhaps are no better than Cameron. There are writers who are quite poor at the actual craft of writing but happen upon the right combination of storyline and marketing with a dollop of luck, who make millions while more deserving writers live in poverty. That is the way of the world in all fields and you get bitter if you think about it too much.
I am glad you had a lovely day out cooking with your sister and I understand your sadness at her leaving. It’s never easy.

He was talking about tv celebrities and fluff bloggers who think they know it all. He loves good food bloggers and knows every restaurant, cooking school and product supplier needs us. I mentioned it because I do understand how hard chefs work and the hours they put in. He’s definitely not a bitter man. He’s got the best sense of humour around, is full of jokes and witty repartee and seems like an extremely happy man. Most chefs don’t get much more recognition than most bloggers. Cameron is very well known in Australian cuisine – definitely at the top of his game.

I don’t think I was lovely regarding my mother. We had a tentative relationship all my life and Carole did what I couldn’t have done. 🙂

Good to hear, Maureen. After watching a few of those cooking programmes based on actual chefs, I have no doubt that they work long and hard hours for their profession. He sounds like an amazing guy.
Family relationships are so complex!

Maureen, what a lovely gesture from you to your sister and then again from her to you. And what a great way for the two of you to spend some time together. It’s difficult when one sibling is left with all the work and another is too far away to feel very useful. I am in the former position and my sister is in the latter.

It’s a tough situation. Carole did all the work when my mother was really mean. She was quite ill and said and did some creepy things and Carole went to mom’s place every day and just took it because it was the right thing to do. Even if I’d been there I don’t think I could have taken the abuse. My mother said mean things to me all my life and when I got older I wouldn’t take it any more, so I don’t think I could have done what Carole did because of the memories. I owe her a lot and what she got wasn’t anywhere near what she deserved. That said… we had a ball at the cooking school and would happily go every day if we could. 🙂

Details, details! Yes, it’s Italian and you’re French. So, what? The colors were red, white, and blue and that’s all that counts. It is every bit a legitimate 4th of July dessert. And a good one, at that. Panna cotta really is simple to make but oh so very good! Never thought to use plastic molds, though. I need to source them. What a great idea!

What a wonderful celebration of life to share a cooking class with your sister.
Looks like you learned how to make a very stellar panna cotta, indeed.
The setting for your class looks pretty spectacular, too!

What a very sweet way to tell Carole “thank you”! It was equally as sweet of her to spend some of it on cooking school! Looks like you definitely made the most of it. Panna cotta is such a fabulous dessert but I’ve never made it so thanks for sharing this recipe and for all of the helpful hints!

Oh good lord I LOVE that photo of the two of you! Brilliant! And mmmm I love panna cotta and it is my husband’s favorite dessert. I actually made it the first time after my husband had a pretty lousy, floury one in a restaurant and I swore I would make him a good one. It is really easy to make and I love it. Yours is perfect! I have also been wondering about molds…

Hello,
I would love to make the “best panna cotta ever”…why waste time on second best! Could you please tell me if you used gold leaf gelatine or titanium? It will make a huge difference if I use the wrong one.
Thanks so much,
Angela